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Hoppin’ John and Rice in the Instant Pot

If you like beans but have never tried black-eyed peas, this is an excellent recipe to try! It’s a Southern tradition to eat Hoppin’ John on New Year’s. It’s “poor man’s food”, so eating it is supposed to give you a prosperous year. I’ve only eaten it since living in Utah and Idaho, but you must forgive my mother for not cooking it. She’s a Yankee.

If you’d like to use a leftover ham bone, put it in the Instant Pot with 3 c. of water, cook at high pressure for 60 minutes, and natural release. Then, remove the meat from the bone and proceed with the recipe. You can also use the juice in the recipe instead of chicken broth. Test it first for saltiness. If it seems much saltier than chicken broth, water it down first before using.

Heat the Instant Pot on saute until it says “hot” and saute until starting to brown a little:

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. diced celery

1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper

Add and saute for 1 more minute:

1 T. minced garlic

For more crisp vegetables, remove them now and set aside. If you don’t mind them blending into the rest of the dish, keep them in the pot and add all of the following:

1 c. chopped ham

1 c. black-eyed peas ( about 1/2 lb.)

3 c. chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Set the trivet over the beans and ham and put a bowl or other oven-safe dish on top of it. In the bowl, put:

2 c. rice

3 c. water

Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes, then natural release. Remove the bowl of cooked rice and set it aside. If you set the veggies aside earlier, add them into the beans now.

Season the Hoppin’ John with salt, pepper, and cayenne, then serve it over the rice.